Closure latch

ABSTRACT

A VEHICLE BODY DOOR LOCK INCLUDES A BOLT PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON A FRAME FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN LATCHED AND UNLATCHED POSITIONS AND A DETENT CARRIER PIVOTED ON THE FRAME AND CARRYING A PIVOTED LOCKING MEMBER WHICH IS NORMALLY SPRING BIASED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH A FRAME TAB TO LOCK THE CARRIER AGAINST MOVEMENT. A DETENT IS PIVOTED TO THE CARRIER FOR UNITARY MOVEMENT THEREWITH AND MOVEMENT INDEPENDENTLY THEREOF. WHEN THE CARRIER IS IN LOCKED POSITION, A DETENT SHOULDER IS NORMALLY LOCATED IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF A BOLT SHOULDER TO HOLD THE BOLT IN LATCHED POSITION. A SOLENOID IS OPERABLE TO EXTEND THE ARMATURE THEREOF AND ENGAGE THE LOCKING MEMBER TO SEQUENTIALLY FIRST RELEASE THE LOCKING MEMBER FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FRAME TAB AND THEN ENGAGE THE LOCKING MEMBER WITH THE CARRIER TO SWING THE CARRIER RELATIVE TO THE FRAME. THE CARRIER MOVES THE DETENT TO A POSITION WHEREIN THE SHOULDER THEREOF IS OUT OF THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE BOLT SHOULDER TO PERMIT THE BOLT TO MOVE TO UNLATCHED POSITION. WHEN THE SOLENOID IS DEENERGIZED, A TENSION SPRING BETWEEN THE CARRIER AND FRAME RETURNS THE CARRIER TO ITS INITIAL POSITION AND THE LOCKING MEMBER AGAIN ENGAGES THE LATCH FRAME. THE BOLT SHOULDER RATCHETS PAST AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DETENT SHOULDER WHEN THE BOLT MOVES FROM UNLATCHED TO LATCHED POSITION. THE DETENT MOVES INDEPENDENTLY OF THE CARRIER DURING SUCH MOVEMENT OF THE BOLT, AND THE CARRIER REMAINS LOCKED TO THE FRAME.

w. s. zAYDEL 3,606,426

cLosuRE Luca sept'. 2o, `19:71

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filer; Jan. 19, 1970 ATTORNEY Sept. 20, 1971 y w. s.ZAYDE.. 3,606,426

CLOSURE LATCH Filed Jan. 19, 1970 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 62 w A T TORNE YUnited States Patent Office 3,606,426 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 3,606,426CLOSURE LATCH Wieslaw S. Zaydel, Warren, Mich., assignor to GeneralMotors Corporation, Detroit, Mich. Filed Jan. 19, 1970, Ser. No. 3,813Int. Cl. Ec 3/26 U.S. Cl. 292.--216 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE"A Vehicle .body door lock includes a bolt pivotally mounted on a framefor movement between latched and unlatched positions and a detentcarrier pivoted on the frame and carrying a pivoted locking member whichis normally spring biased into engagement with a frame tab to lock thecarrier against movement. A detent is pivoted to the carrier for unitarymovement therewith and movement independently thereof. When the carrieris in locked position, a detent shoulder is normally located in the pathof movement of a bolt shoulder to hold thev `bolt in latched position. Asolenoid is operable to extend the armature thereof and engage thelocking member to sequentially vfirst release the locking member fromengagement with the frame tab and then engage the locking member withthe carrier to swing the carrier relative to the frame. The carriermoves the detent to a position wherein the shoulder thereof is out ofthe path of movement of the Ibolt shoulder t0 permit the bolt to move tounlatched position. When the solenoid is deenergized, a tension springbetween the carrier and frame returns the carrier to its initialposition and the locking member again engages the latch frame. The boltshoulder ratchets past and into engagement with the detent shoulder whenthe bolt moves from unlatched to latched position. The detent movesindependently of the carrier during such movement of the bolt and thecarrier remains locked to the frame.

This invention relates to closure latches in general and moreparticularly to vehicle body door looks.

One feature of the door lock of this invention is that itl includes adetent movably mounted on a movable detent carrier which is normallylocked to the latch frame to locate the detent in a first position inthe path ofthe' bolt and maintain the bolt in latched position, with thecarrier ibeing movable relative to the frame, after being unlockedtherefrom, to locate the detent in a second position out of the path ofthe bolt to release the bolt for movement to unlatched position, andwith the detent being movable independently of the carrier by the boltto permit the bolt to ratchet past the detent as the bolt moves fromunlatched position to latched position. Another feature is that thecarrier mounts a locking member engageable with cooperating means on theframe to normally lock the carrier to the frame, and operating means formoving the carrier is sequentially operable to rst move the lockingmember to an unlocked position and then move the carrier relative to theframe. A further feature is that the detent is pivoted to the carrier,and cooperating means on the detent and carrier normally locate thedetent with respect to the carrier for unitary movement therewith andresist movement of the detent independently of the carrier. Yet anotherfeature is that the carrier is normally biased to a position wherein thelocking member is automatically engageable with the cooperating means onthe latch frame and movement of the carrier after release of the lockingmember is resisted by this bias so that the carrier returns tol itslocked position when the operating means is released.

These and other features of the door lock of this invention will bereadily apparent from the following specilication and drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a partial side elevational view of a vehicle body embodying adoor lock according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially broken away view taken generally along the planeindicated by line 2PZ of FIG. 1 and showing the bolt in latchedposition;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the planeindicated by line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial view similar to FIG. l2 and showing the lockingmember released from the frame;

FIG. 5 is a partial view similar to FIG. 2 and showing the carrier movedrelative to the frame after the locking member has been released;

=FIG. -6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showingl the bolt in unlatchedposition; and

iFIG. 7 is a partial perspective view.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a vehicle bodydesignated generally .10 includes a front door 12 which isconventionally hinged at its forward edge 14 to the body 10 for movementbetween a closed position, as shown, and an open position, not shown.The door 12 is latched to the body 10 in closed position by a vehiclebody door lock 16 according to this invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lock includes a main frame 18 which bearsagainst the inner surface of the rear or look pillar wall 20 of door 12and is conventionally secured thereto by a number of bolts 22 extendinginto tapped embossments 24- of the frame. The wall 2.0, the frame 18 anda side ange 26 thereof are cut out at 2S to allow passage of aconventional headed striker pin 30 into the door and main frame forengagement of the pin shank with the bolt in the latched positionthereof. The striker pin 30 is conventionally mounted on the body lockpillar wall.

The bolt 32 is pivoted at 34 to the main frame 18 and to an auxiliaryframe 36 which is located in spaced relationship to the main frame 18 bya number of lateral flanges or tabs 38 thereof staked within openings inthe main frame. A coil torsion spring 40, FIG. 7, surrounds and has oneend anchored to the pivot 34. The other end of the spring engages anotched lateral flange 42 of the bolt to continually bias the boltclockwise from the latched position shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 to theunlatched position shown in FIG. 6.

A detent carrier 44 has a flanged end, FIG. 3, pivoted at 46 to the mainframe 18. A tension spring 48 interconnects a lateral tab of the carrierand an opening in the frame 36 to continually bias the carrier 44counterclockwise. The engagement of a foot of the carrier with a tab 50of frame 18 locates the carrier against the action of spring 48. Alocking member 52 is pivoted at 54 to the carrier 44 and includes ahook-shaped terminal 56 'which is engageable with the lateral tab 50 ofthe frame 118 to lock the carrier 44 to the frame. A leaf spring 58mounted on a lateral tab 60' of the locking member slidably engages alateral tab `62 of the carrier to normally bias the locking membercounterclockwise and engage terminal 56 'with tab 50. The extent ofengagement of the terminal `56 of the locking member with the tab 56 iscontrolled by the engagement of a lug or foot 64 of the locking memberwith the tab.

A detent `66 is pivoted `at 68 to the carrier 44 and a coil torsionspring 70, surrounding the flanged end of the carrier, FIG. 3, has oneleg thereof engaging an arm of the detent and the other leg thereofengaging a ange 3S of frame 36 to continually bias the detentcounterclockwise of the carrier and resist clockwise movement of thedetent independently of the carrier. The engagement of a lateral ange 72of the detent with the upper edge of the carrier locates the detent withrespect to the carrier.

The detent includes a foot or shoulder 74 which is engageable witheither a shoulder 76 or a shoulder 78 of the bolt 32 to therebyrespectively hold the bolt in either a fully latched position, as shownin FIGS. 2 and 7, wherein shoulder 74 engages shoulder 7'6, or anintermediate latched position, not shown, wherein shoulder 74 engagesshoulder 78.

A conventional solenoid 80 is mounted on the frame 18 by means of abracket 82. The armature 84 of the solenoid normally engages theundersurface of tab 60 of the locking member 52 when this member is inlocked position, as shown in FIGS. 2, 6, and 7.

Although not shown, it will be understood that the solenoid '80 isconnected in parallel across a source of power with conventional switchmeans located in the push button assembly 86 of a conventional outsidedoor handle assembly 88, FIG. 1, and also with conventional manual orother switch means, not shown, located on the interior of door 12 andalso on the interior of the opposite or left-hand door of the vehicle.

When it is-desired to release the bolt 32 for movement from the latchedposition, shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, to the unlatched position, sho'wn inFIG. 6, to permit movement of the door 12 to open position, the solenoid80 is energized to extend the armature 84. When the armature isinitially extended, it swings the locking member l52 slightly clockwiseof the pivot 54 from its position shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 to its positionshown in FIG. 4, aaginst the action of spring 58. This releases thehookshaped terminal 56 from the tab 50 and engages the tab 60 of thelocking member with the tab 62 of the carrier 44. Upon further extensionof the armature 84, the engagement of tabs y60 and 62 swings the carrier44 clockwise of the pivot 46 against the action of the tension spring 48and moves the detent 66 as a unit with the carrier from its positionshown in FIGS. 2 and 7 to its position shown in FIG. 5, wherein theshoulder 74 is moved out of engagement with the bolt and out of the pathof movement thereof. The spring 40 thereupon moves the bolt 32 tounlatched position shown in FIG. `6 as the door 12 moves to openposition. Upon deenergization of the solenoid `80, spring 48 immediatelyreturns the carrier 44 to its position shown in FIG. 6 wherein thelocking member -52 is again locked to tab 50 by spring 58. The detent 66moves counterclockwise with carrier 44.

Upon closing movement of the door 12, the engagement of the shank of thestriker pin 30 with the leading edge of the bolt throat swings the boltcounterclockwise of the pivot 34. Since the detent 66 is mounted on thecarrier 44 for movement independently of the carrier, the detentshoulder 74 will successively ratchet past the detent shoulder 78 andratchet into engagement with shoulder 76 as the bolt moves from itsunlatched position of FIG. 6 to its latched position of FIGS. 2 and 7.The bolt may likewise engage shoulder 78, as previously mentioned.

Thus, this invention provides an improved vehicle body door lock.

Iclaim:

1. A closure latch comprising, in combination, a support, a bolt mountedon the support for movement between la-tched and unlatched positions,detent carrier means movably mounted on the support, locking meansnormally maintaining the carrier means in a locked immovable positionrelative to the support, detent means mounted on the carrier means formovement therewith and movement independently thereof, means normallylocating the detent means in a predetermined rst position in the path ofmovement of the bolt in the locked position of the carrier means, meanson the bolt engageable with the detent means in the first position ofthe detent means and the latched position of the bolt to hold .the boltagainst movement to unlatched position,

operating means for sequentially releasing the locking means and movingthe carrier means relative to the support to move the detent meanstherewith from the first position thereof to a second position thereofout of the path of movement of the bolt and release the bolt formovement to unlatched position, and means returning the carrier means tothe locked position thereof upon movement of the bolt to unlatchedposition to move the de'tent means from the -second position thereof tothe rst position thereof, the bolt means and detent means beingengageable 'with each other in the first position of the detent meansupon movement of the bolt from unlatched to latched position to move thedetent means independently of the carrier means from the first positionthereof toward the second position thereof and permit movement of thebolt to latched position.

2. A closure latch comprising, in combination, a support, a bolt mountedon the support for movement between latched and unlatched positions,detent carrier means movably mounted on the support, locking means onthe carrier means engageable with the support to maintain the carriermeans in a locked immovable position relative to the support, detentmeans mounted on the carrier means for movement therewith and movementindependently thereof, means normally locating the detent means in apredetermined rst position in the path of movement of the bolt in thelocked position of the carrier means, means on the bolt engageable withthe detent means in the first position of the detent means and thelatched position of the bolt to hold the bolt against movement tounlatched position, operating means for sequentially disengaging thelocking means and moving the carrier means relative to the support tomove the detent means therewith from the rst position thereof to asecond position thereof out of the path of movement of the bolt andrelease the bolt for movement to unlatched position, and means returningthe carrier means to the locked position thereof upon movement of thebolt to unlatched position to move the detent means from the secondposition thereof to the first position thereof, the bolt means anddetent means being engageable with each other in the first position ofthe detent means upon movement of the bolt from unlatched to latchedposition to move the detent means independently of the carrier meansfrom the first position thereof toward the second position thereof andpermit movement of the bolt to latched position.

3. A closure latch comprising, in combination, a support, a bolt mountedon the support for movement between latched and unlatched position, adetent carrier pivoted on the support, a locking member mounted on thecarrier and engageable with the support to normally maintain the carrierin a locked immovable position relative to the support, a detent pivotedon the carrier for movement therewith and movement independentlythereof, means normally locating the detent in a predetermined firstposition in the path of movement of the bolt in the locked position ofthe carrier, means on the bolt engageable with the detent in the firstposition of the detent and the latched position of the bolt to hold thebolt against movement to unlatched position, operating means forsequentially disengaging the locking member from the support and movingthe carrier relative to the support to move the detent therewith fromthe first position thereof to a second position thereof out of the pathof movement of the bolt and release the bolt for movement to unlatchedposition, and means returning the carrier to the locked position thereofupon `movement of the bolt to unlatched position to move the detent fromthe second position thereof to the first position thereof, the boltmeans and detent being engageable 'with each other in the first positionof the detent upon movement of the bolt from unlatched to latchedposition to move the detent independently of the car- 5 rier from therst position thereof toward the'second position thereof and permitmovement of the bolt to latched position.

4. A closure latch as recited in claim 3 wherein resilient meansrotatably bias the carrier in one direction relative to the support andinto engagement with stop means mounted on the support, the lockingmember being engageable with the stop means to lock the carrier to thesupport against movement in an opposite direction relative thereto.

S. The combination recited in claim 3 wherein the locking memberincludes means engageable by the operatingT means for moving the lockingmember out of References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,065,013 11/=1962Pickles 292-280 3,380,771 4/'1968 Rogers, Jr 292-201 3,386,761 6/1968Johnstone et al. 292201 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner

